Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails – Boston

*As originally published in the Weekly Dig on December 12, 2011 by PINK LADY

For the uninitiated, mixing a raw egg in a drink always prompts shock and awe—unless we’re talking about Egg Nog, which is probably already part of your holiday tradition. So why not try something different this year? Allow us to introduce you to the humble flip.

In the early days of our nation, drinks made with eggs were a common quaff. The colonial-era mixture of ale, rum, eggs and sugar passed back and forth between pitchers—dubbed a “flip”—was a veritable fixture of 18th century drinking. As with most early tipples, these drinks changed over time, shrank in size, and morphed into a beverage made to order and tailored to individual taste. By the mid-1850s, egg drinks had become less common, but remained a key category for Yuletide imbibing. Here Egg Nog remains, one of the only raw egg drinks you can recommend that won’t prompt an “ew” when you suggest it to the neophyte. Flips can be found at the best cocktail bar, but may still raise an eyebrow.

A flip can be outstanding in its own right, and simple to make. This recipe comes to us by way of Pink Gin and was previous published a few years back in The Boston Globe.

“Modern flips like this one are fun, festive, and definitely deserve a bit of limelight this time of year,” Pink Gin told them.

“Try it with Jamaican rum or brandy as well. Also I’m not a bartender, and I drink egg drinks at home. Give it a try.”

You heard the woman. Bottom’s up!

Spiced Bourbon Flip
3 oz. bourbon
2 oz. heavy cream
1 large egg
1 oz. spiced simple syrup
Shake bourbon, cream, egg, and simple syrup vigorously with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and dust with nutmeg.

CIN-CIN!

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